2017 Volume 36, Issue 2 81
Contents
Editorial
Learning & teaching
Research
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Resource reviews
A rip-roaring read, with teaching notes
available from the publisher’s website.
P. Galloway
USER LEVEL:
Stage 3 Stage 4
SCIS 1774783
Paper $16.99
The Diabolic
KINCAID, S.J.
Simon & Schuster, UK, 2016
ISBN 9781471148392
Told from the female
protagonist’s first
person view, the
fantastical world this
novel inhabits – where
‘nature’ is conjured by
sterile technology – is
deftly invoked through
language. With a nod
to ancient Rome, the
inventive character
names, place names and events will be
familiar enough for readers to make
connections. Each character sits within
a highly stratified universe, their place
in it dictated by their role: a Servitor, a
Grandee, an Exalted, the Excess, part of
the Grandiloquy, right up to the Emperor
himself. Sensitive issues such as rape,
drug abuse and graphic violence form
part of the story, along with issues such
as political intrigue, self-determination,
The Smuggler’s Curse
JORGENSEN, Norman
Fremantle Press, WA, 2016
ISBN 9781925164190
Tropical tempests at
sea, blood curdling
encounters with late
19th century pirates
and Dutch military, and
jungles with leeches
and head hunters are
just some of the
adventures young Red
Read finds himself
experiencing in this
novel. Apparently sold by his mother to
the infamous Captain Black Bowen of
the Black Dragon, Red unwillingly leaves
his familiar life in Broome, Western
Australia, and faces all manner of life-
threatening incidents. The new ship’s
boy sails to Singapore and Sumatra and
back, and readers are treated to some
colourful lessons in colonial history, both
Australian and South-East Asian, along
the way. The story is packed with
maritime details, and the captain quotes
Shakespeare. Wreckers, murderous
naval commanders and a female guerrilla
boss feature amongst the cast. Several
violent events are graphically described,
but told in context, and Red reflects on
the dog-eat-dog world he is thrown into.
USER LEVEL:
Stage 3 Stage 4
SCIS 1785995
Paper $24.99
A Shadow’s Breath
HAYES, Nicole
Random House Australia, NSW, 2017
ISBN 9780143781097
Two timelines draw the
reader into the
challenges of Tessa’s
life. Opening with the
present, the story leaps
backward and forward
in time, almost as if it is
part of Tessa’s memory
as she struggles to
come to terms with
what has happened to
her. This side-by-side storytelling offers
us insights into the context of Tessa’s
accident, gently unfolding the
circumstances that led to it before
merging the past and present to reveal
the true horror of the event which began
it all. While Tessa’s life has been bound
by domestic violence, alcoholism and
loss through suicide, the narrative brings
to the reader a realisation that strength
and persistence can prevail, even in
the most difficult of circumstances.
S. Pollard
USER LEVEL:
Stage 6
SCIS 11786443 Paper $19.99
The Song from Somewhere Else
HARROLD, A.F. and PINFOLD, Levi
Bloomsbury, UK, 2016
ISBN 9781408853368
Continually bullied by
Neil and his cohorts,
Francesca (known as
Frank) is feeling
particularly low. While
searching for her cat,
Frank is rescued by
Nick from a particularly
unpleasant encounter
with Neil. Frank is conflicted in her
gratitude as Nick is even more
ostracised than she due to his unusual
size, body odour and demeanour.
Accepting an invitation to his house,
there she is enveloped by soothing,
mystical music and, trying to locate
its source, discovers something other-
worldly and inexplicable. What follows is
a struggle to prevent evil shadows from
invading earth via an opened portal or
gateway. Along the way, Frank must
overcome her own fears, as her
conscience plays devil’s advocate. She
gains a greater understanding of Nick’s
unusual background and circumstances
and an appreciation of family and
friendship, ably assisted by her no longer
lost cat. An extract and teaching notes
are available from the publisher. S. Morton